Kiln Vents and Cooling

I am new to this forum, and relatively new to pottery. I just got my first kiln, A Skutt, with an envirovent 2. My question has to do with when to turn the vent off. Does the vent serve a purpose during cooling? Do I leave the vent on during cooling, or turn it off? If I turn it off to let the kiln cool slowly, do I need to open any peep plugs?

Welcome to the forum, Jocelyn!
You should have gotten some instructions with your vent system. I believe there is a requirement of drilling intake holes in the lid. At least that seems to be the case where I am teaching...the setup was already in place.
I turn off the vent system when the like hits temperature for the bisque.
Since we don't glaze fire in the the electrics, I can't say what people do for their glaze firings.The main function is to rid the fumes from heavy metals into an outside atmosphere.
So once you are finished firing, I would assume nothing more is burning off.

I leave mine on all the time for my ceramic 06 glaze loads, even when it's below freezing where my kiln are. I pop the lid at about 200 F and all my plugs are in.

Cools down kiln loads about 2 hours faster when I leave it on, I was scared a couple times this winter to leave it on when it was done firing when it was super cold so I turned it off once but no problems yet. Also gives me nice even firing on all shelves. where as before I used to get hot and cool areas it all is nice and even after installing invirornvents.

I have a Skutt with the envirovent 2 that I have fired 227 times since 2007; these have been bisque (^04), glaze(^6), and raku firings. It has been fired when it is 98F and -10F in an unheated garage.
It comes on (via Envirolink) when I start the firing, and I generally turn it off after the kiln has reached temp and shut off.
I have not found that it helps the kiln to cool faster, if so, only slightly. To me, it is not worth the extra electricity, wear and tear on the motor, and noise to keep it running for cooling.
I sometimes pull out the peeps at around 600F if I want to speed the cooling a little bit, after all, there is quite a thermal mass there, and it will help only some.
If you have the Envirolink, it will do the controlling for you, otherwise, turn it on for the firing at least until it is shut off after reaching temp.
You're not going hurt that Skutt, so don't think you have to baby it, just use it wisely and you will have a ball!

On the Envirovent 2, L&L Vent-Sure and other vents that have the motor mounted away from the kiln, the vent can be turned off at any time you choose. With the old Envirovent and other vents where the motor is mounted directly underneath the kiln, the vent must be left ON until the kiln cools to 1400 degrees or less, to prevent heat damage to the vent. As far as how it affects your work, test, test, test.....

Thank you! I do have the manual, and I have the proper holes drilled. I was just looking for some advice from people who use the vents for what they found have worked.

Oops my bad!. I find that leaving it on cools the kiln faster, but not by a lot.

If it cools the kiln faster, when should we turn it off during red glaze firing, where we need precise slow cooling with soaking at two or three points? My Envirovent is not underneath the kiln, so I don't have to leave it on. Should I turn it off at the first soaking? Then what about the fumes in our studios/garagios? I don't like the noise of the fan or wasting electricity on 12-15 hour firing but , clean air is a concern? Thank you in advance for clarifying it for me.

On the Envirovent 2, L&L Vent-Sure and other vents that have the motor mounted away from the kiln, the vent can be turned off at any time you choose. With the old Envirovent and other vents where the motor is mounted directly underneath the kiln, the vent must be left ON until the kiln cools to 1400 degrees or less, to prevent heat damage to the vent. As far as how it affects your work, test, test, test.....

Neil EstrickKiln repair techL&L Distributor

Thanks for clarifying this. I had always left the vent on until 500 degrees for fear of melting it. Now I will turn it off sooner.

On the Envirovent 2, L&L Vent-Sure and other vents that have the motor mounted away from the kiln, the vent can be turned off at any time you choose. With the old Envirovent and other vents where the motor is mounted directly underneath the kiln, the vent must be left ON until the kiln cools to 1400 degrees or less, to prevent heat damage to the vent. As far as how it affects your work, test, test, test.....

Neil EstrickKiln repair techL&L Distributor

Thanks for clarifying this. I had always left the vent on until 500 degrees for fear of melting it. Now I will turn it off sooner.

This is what Skutt told me many years ago when I was having trouble with some big 35lb. jars cracking during cooling. Shutting down the vent slowed down the cooling enough that it solved the problem. Of course, leaving the vent on to 500 degrees would be even better. If it's not affecting your work negatively, leave it on.